Pilchard Inn, Burgh Island, Devon

I'm prepared to accept the Pilchard Inn is perhaps something of an outlier among the pubs featured on this blog. It is owned by the neighbouring Burgh Island Hotel, and so on some level, arguably, is therefore a hotel bar rather than a pub. Priority for tables is typically given to hotel guests - a concept I would probably find objectionable, had I not on two occasions actually been a hotel guest, and on another occasion been invited through to the resident's side regardless.

All of this said, the pub building significantly predates the hotel. The current hotel building dates back to the 1920s - even its predecessor only goes back to the 1890s. Whereas the pub, apparently, dates back to 1336.

Burgh Island is a tidal island, and the Pilchard Inn is more or less the first building which greets the visitor. It is a spectacular, beautiful, and unique spot. Depending on the state of the tide, you can either walk across the wide beach from the mainland, or, if the tide has come in, take the "sea tractor" across the water.

I had been to visit Burgh Island at least once as a child that I can remember, probably in the mid 1980s. Since then I've been a further three times.

In 2011, my wife and I stayed with family in Dartmouth for a week over the Christmas period. We had hired a car while we were there, so we could explore the broader area, and one day during that week decided to head to Burgh Island. We popped into the Pilchard Inn, as dusk approached, and seeing it again as an adult I was immediately taken with the place.

It's tiny. I loved the thick stone walls, punctuated here and there by alcoves for windows which offer beautiful views over the beach and out to sea. This was the time the staff invited us across to what was, at that time, the side of the pub reserved for hotel residents. Perhaps they were just being kind, as it was quiet - the lull between Christmas and New Year - and a weekday afternoon, so they were unlikely to be busy... but I couldn't help but wonder retrospectively if they saw potential future hotel guests in us, and thought it might be a good bit of marketing. If that was the case, it turns out their suspicions were correct, although it would be a few years later until we got round to staying there.

The tide was out on that brief visit, so we were able to walk there and back across the beach (although my wife very much wanted a ride on the sea tractor!). As we were heading back to the mainland we witnessed a murmuration of starlings swooping across the bay - it was absolutely magical. For some reason though I didn't get a picture of it - perhaps I was just so caught up in the moment I didn't think to reach for my camera.

In May 2017, while my wife and our daughter were away in Japan, I decided rather self indulgently I'd like to spend a night at the hotel. At the time the hotel seemed to have a pretty much adults only sort of policy, so I thought I might not get the opportunity otherwise. Of course the hotel, a beautiful art deco time capsule, was delightful... However I found the draw of the Pilchard Inn irresistible, and ended up spending much of my time there.

There are ebbs and flows of day trippers - quite literally given the tides - and I found to my surprise that by mid afternoon, despite it being a very pleasant Saturday afternoon in May, I had the pub pretty much to myself. Or at least the residents only side of it.

I found I was rather reluctant to leave the island the next morning, and was itching to find an opportunity to get back at some point.

I returned in July 2019 for another night's stay at the hotel, and this time with my family in tow. Following some enquiries it seems they were happy to accommodate children, there were just a limited number of rooms which would be suitable, and also the main dining room remained an adults only space.

Once again, the draw of the Pilchard Inn was irresistible - we had lunch there on arrival, and then my daughter and I went back early evening, and once again I found to my surprise it was pretty much empty. We sat in that delightful alcove window, overlooking the sea, and although it was perhaps unreasonable to expect a seven year old child to share in that sense of utter delight about an atmospheric old pub, I at least was in a kind of heaven.